After searching everything they gave me back my keys, but they had not yet done with us; they began to search my carriage.  The rascal who was at the head of them began to shout “victory,” he had discovered the remainder of a pound of snuff which I had bought at St. Omer on my way to Dunkirk.

With a voice of triumph the chief exciseman gave orders that my carriage should be seized, and warned me that I would have to pay a fine of twelve hundred francs.

For the nonce my patience was exhausted, and I leave the names I called them to the imagination of the reader; but they were proof against words.  I told them to take me to the superintendent’s.

“You can go if you like,” said they, “we are not your servants.”

Surrounded by a curious crowd, whom the noise had drawn together, I began to walk hurriedly towards the town, and entering the first open shop I came to, I begged the shopkeeper to take me to the superintendent’s.  As I was telling the circumstances of the case, a man of good appearance, who happened to be in the shop, said that he would be glad to show me the way himself, though he did not think I should find the superintendent in, as he would doubtless be warned of my coming.

“Without your paying either the fine or caution money,” said he, “you will find it a hard matter to get yourself out of the difficulty.”

I entreated him to shew me the way to the superintendent’s, and not to trouble about anything else.  He advised me to give the rabble a louis to buy drink, and thus to rid myself of them, on which I gave him the louis, begging him to see to it himself, and the bargain was soon struck.  He was a worthy attorney, and knew his men.

We got to the superintendent’s; but, as my guide had warned me, my gentleman was not to be seen.  The porter told us that he had gone out alone, that he would not be back before night, and that he did not know where he had gone.

“There’s a whole day lost, then,” said the attorney.

“Let us go and hunt him up; he must have well-known resorts and friends, and we will find them out.  I will give you a louis for the day’s work; will that be enough?”

“Ample.”

We spent in vain four hours in looking for the superintendent in ten or twelve houses.  I spoke to the masters of all of them, exaggerating considerably the injury that had been done to me.  I was listened to, condoled with, and comforted with the remark that he would certainly be obliged to return to his house at night, and then he could not help hearing what I had to say.  That would not suit me, so I continued the chase.

At one o’clock the attorney took me to an old lady, who was thought a great deal of in the town.  She was dining all by herself.  After giving great attention to my story, she said that she did not think she could be doing wrong in telling a stranger the whereabouts of an individual who, in virtue of his office, ought never to be inaccessible.